Inlaying method



A. MENCKEN I NLAYI NG METHOD Filed Aug. l1

Hy@ 5777906667 f l) ',z/ @L Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT 'oi-FICEI AlaplicationAugust 11, 1933'. ,Serial No. ($4,730 7 Claims.- (Cl. ll-35) The invention relates to the decorative art and has special reference to the inlaying of wood or the like with metallic, wooden or other strips for obtaining paneled or other ornamental effects which will enhance the attractiveness of all sorts of furniture, other objects and in fact any surfaces to which the method'is applicable. Y

The principal object of the invention, generallyY stated, is to provide a novel inlaying method involving an assembly of coacting and intertting parts so arranged and related` as to remain permanently joined without danger of loosening and subsequent displacement of the inlaying.k

An important object of the invention is to provide an inlaying method whereby a close .ortight and accurate fit between the component parts will be assured, thereby bringing about a most attractive appearance free from blemishes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inlaying method in which the inlaid strip, whether of wood, metal or other material, is actually fastened to :either of thesurfaces which it confronts or engages so that dislodgment of the inlaid strip, which is a common failing resulting from ordinary methods, particularly in the case vof metal, will be avoided, the entire assembly having permanence.

vA further object ofthe invention an inlaying method which is not in any way conned to paneling or rectangular ornamentation but which may be carried out with equal success and efliciency in the making of curved designs of a floral or in fact any other desired nature.

A more specific object of the invention `is to provide an inlaying method in which the actual inlaying is effected in a veneer sheet of one or more layers, the inlaid veneer being subsequently glued or otherwise appropriately secured tothe foundation or object to be decorated.

An additional object is to provide an inlaying method which will be extraordinarilysimple and linexpensive to carry out, which will result yinl a high quality of workmanship and which will in every respect Vbe a general improvement in the art.

is to provide Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, Y k r Figure 3 is a similar View showing a slight modification, Y v

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View, partly broken away and in section, showing the inlaying method ascarried out in connection with paneling or the inlaying of straight strips,

Figure 5 is a similar View showing a different mode of anchoring the inlay strips,

Figure 6 Vis a crossr section on of Figure 5. k Y Referring' more particularly, to the drawing, and especially Figuresl to 3, the numeral 10 desjthe line 6 6 ignates a foundation or surface to ,bek ornamented, Q

it being immaterial whether this surface be a por-v tion of a wall or anything else to be decorated or whether it be a part of Va Vpiece of furniture orY the like. The numeral 11 designates, as a whole, the material to be overlaidL upon the foundattion 10 and it makes no difference whether this element 11 bea single layer, a plurality of plies, kor a supporting layer 12 with a veneeredsurface 13, the latter being ydisclosed in the present instance simply for purposes of illustration.

In carrying out the invention the design is rst laid out on the veneer 13, as in marquetry, and the veneer bearing the pieces is of course glued to the layer 12. The ,design is then sawed out through thesuperposed layers 12 and 13by means of a sawfhaving a cutting edge of awidth corresponding to the thickness of the strips 14 to be inlaid, the resultant kerfs being for the accommodation of the various strips and being adapted to receive them snugly. Figure 1 shows, for the sake of explanation only, a conventional floral design consistingofa circular center 15 and three radially arranged petals 16 and a stem 17. Assuming that these four portionsof Vthe design have been sawed out, it is necessary to make provision for any additional inlay strips which might be intended to represent lines on vthe petals. The pieces 16 maybe drilled through at desired points to permit the initial insertion of an appropriate scroll saw blade for cutting kerfs To the attainment of the foregoing end other its' As the next step a stripto Alie-inlaid is placed about the'edgeiof the centerpiece 15 as shown Aat 19, curved strips 20 are placed about theA edges of thepetal pieces 16 and other curvedV strips 21 are placed against the edges of the stem piece 17. Strips '22 forshading or line indicating lpurposes are `of Ycourse inserted with'- in the-kerfs 18 and are pressed into: place. The peripheralstripsil), 2Q and 21 may besecured to the pieces 15, 16 and 17, respectively, as by means of pins, brads or the like indicated at 23. The pieces 15, 16 and 17, with the strips secured to their edges, are reassembled with respect to the ply sheet or veneered supporting sheet from which they were originally cut and the Whole assembly is glued down onto the foundation l0.

As an alternative, the strips 20 and 2l may be secured to the edges of the openings left in the assembled layers 12 and 13 when the pieces 16 and 17 are sawed out, these strips being in such an event secured to the edges of the openings as by pins, brads or the like 24. Regardless of which plan is followed it is clear that the strips will be positively anchored and cannot creep out. After the parts are assembled and glued together as indicated the exposed surface is ofY course dressed 0E and polished or otherwise treated so as to have the desired finish. Y

Where it is desired to inlay simply straight strips of wood, metal or other material for paneling purposes, for instance, it is of course a simpler matter.v This type of construction is illustrated in Figures 4 to 6 wherein the numeral 25 designates a foundation to be ornamented and 26 designates as a whole the superposed part here represented as comprising a sheet of veneering 27 and a supporting strip therefor 28. The proper size section of the superposed layers 27 and 28 is out and glued down onto the foundation 25. The inlay strip 29 is then placed against an edge of this section and secured thereto as by pins or the like 30. The next section 3l is then placed against the strip 29 and glued onto the foundation, after which the exposed surface is dressed off and finished as may be desired.

In either or both forms of the invention it is not necessary to restrict the securing means to the use of the elements 23, 24 or 30 as it is conceivable that the inlay strip, particularly if they be of metal, may be provided at their lower edges with laterally extended lugs or feet 32 which may project from either or both sides, as preferred. However, in such a case it is obviously necessary that the inlay strips be applied from the underside of the layer 12 or 28, as the case may be, and it is likewise apparent that the undersides of these layers must necessarily be recessed as indicated at 33 for the accommodation of the lugs. Obviously the engagement of such lugs with the undersides of the supporting lugs will prevent any upward displacement or creeping out of the strips, a notorious drawback to the ordinary inlaid constructions particularly where metal strips are involved.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be apparent that I have thus provided an extremely simple inlaying method by means of which most attractive ornamental effects may be obtained. Owing to the fact that the inlay strips are accommodated within kerfs formed by saws having cutting edges vof practically the same width as the thickness of the strips it will at once be seen that there is bound to be a close fit and a total absence of any minus spots necessary to be filled as oftenoccurs in ordinary practice. Stripsof different thicknesses may be inlaid with equal ease even in the same design, it beingv merely necessary to employ an appropriate width of saw blade to define the proper width of kerf. Of course a Afeature of prime importance is the anchoring of the inlay strips to the edges of the cut out pieces or the edges of the openings left when the pieces are cut out. Work carried out in accordance with my method has stood the test of time without any creeping whatsoever of the strips or loosening thereof or of the pieces encompassed by them or against which they lie. It is really believed that the construction, method steps and advantages will be readily apparent from the foregoing to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the preferred way of accomplishing the desired results and have illustrated a certain more or less conventional design of a floral type it should of course be understood that the disclosure is merely an exemplication of the principles involved and that the right is reserved to make all such variations in every respect as will not depart from the salient features of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. An inlaying method comprising cutting in a veneered sheet a design defined by a kerf of a width corresponding to the thickness of a strip to be inlaid, placing a strip against a cut edge of the material, assembling the cut out design within the opening resultingn from said cutting and securing the assembly upon a foundation.

2. An inlaying method comprising taking a veneered sheet, laying out a design thereon, cutting out the design and leaving a kerf corresponding in width to the thickness of a strip to be inlaid, securing a strip to an edge of the cut portion, reassembling the cut out parts within the opening left in the sheet when the cutting is effected, and securing the veneered sheet and the assembled design therein upon a foundation.

3. An inlaying method comprising taking a veneered sheet, laying out a design thereon, sawing out the design by a kerf corresponding in Width to the thickness of strips to be inlaid'in the sheet, securing strips against selected ones of the cut edges, assembling the cut out design within the opening in the sheet left when the design is cut out, and securing the sheet with the assembled design-therein upon a foundation.

4. A method of inlaying strips within a veneered sheet, comprising laying out a design upon the sheet, sawing through the sheet along the lines of the design to cut out the material of the sheet within the confines of the lines and to remove a thickness of material corresponding t0 the thickness of the strips to be inlaid, placing the strips against selected ones of the cut edges, securing the strips to said selected edges, replacing the cut out portions of the sheet within the opening formed by cutting the sheet, and gluing the sheet and the pieces reassembled therein onto a foundation.

5. A method of inlayingstrips within a veneered sheet, comprising taking a veneered sheet, laying out lthe lines of a design thereon, sawing out the design along said lines to define a kerf having a width corresponding to the thickness of the strips to be inlaid, placing and securing said strips to the outer edges of the cut out design, assembling ythe cut out design with theV` strips within the opening formed by said sawing, and securing the sheet with the replaced cut out portions therein upon a foundation. Y

6. A method of inlaying strips within a've-v neered sheet, comprising taking a veneered sheet, laying out a design thereon, sawing out Ythe Ydesign in accordance with the layout to dene kerfs of a width corresponding tothe thickness of the strips to be inlaid, placing and securing the strips against the edges of the opening formed by sawing out the design, assembling the sawed-out portion within the confines of said strips, and securing the sheet with the assembled design and strips upon a `foundation.

7. A method of inlaying metal strips within a veneered sheet, comprising laying out a design upon the sheet, sawing out the design to dene a kerf of a Width corresponding to the thickness 

